HELP ROUP SPREADING RAPIDLY THROUGH FLOCK (it has already killed my two favorites)

[luvmypets]

It started about a week ago. I noticed one of the new chickens with cocci. To add we have never quarentined and put all eight new birds in with the rest. We left for three days and when we came home my little pullet rose was dead. I noticed all the other chickens showing symtoms of what i thought was cocci. Its day two of treatment and we have lost another bird. All our birds are showing symtoms.... Im so upset as it has killed my Bo gal sunny, and my new BLW pullet rose. We need help on how to stop it... at least 15 birds are showing symtoms.


Plz help

 

[Eggcessive]

Roup is a old term for coryza, a respiratory infection, by the way. Coccidiosis is an intestinal infection causing diarrhea, puffing up, lethargy, and poor appetite. Make sure we are talking about cocci, and not a respiratory infection. Here are instructions for cocci: Go to your feed store or TSC and get some Corid (amprollium.) It's in the cattle section. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid or 1 1/2 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days. They have to drink it or you will need to dropper feed it. After finishing the treatment, give them some vitamins and probiotitcs in the water.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you list the symptoms you are seeing?
Here is an excerpt from University of FL on roup or coryza:

Infectious Coryza

Synonyms: roup, cold, coryza
Species affected: chickens, pheasants, and guinea fowl. Common in game chicken flocks.
Clinical signs: Swelling around the face, foul smelling, thick, sticky discharge from the nostrils and eyes, labored breathing, and rales (rattles -- an abnormal breathing sound) are common clinical signs. The eyelids are irritated and may stick together. The birds may have diarrhea and growing birds may become stunted (see Table 1).
Mortality from coryza is usually low, but infections can decrease egg production and increase the incidence and/or severity of other diseases. Mortality can be as high as 50 percent, but is usually no more than 20 percent. The clinical disease can last from a few days to 2-3 months, depending on the virulence of the pathogen and the existence of other infections such as mycoplasmosis.
Transmission: Coryza is primarily transmitted by direct bird-to-bird contact. This can be from infected birds brought into the flock as well as from birds which recover from the disease which remain carriers of the organism and may shed intermittently throughout their lives.. Birds risk exposure at poultry shows, bird swaps, and live-bird sales. Inapparent infected adult birds added into a flock are a common source for outbreaks. Within a flock, inhalation of airborne respiratory droplets, and contamination of feed and/or water are common modes of spread.
Treatment: Water soluble antibiotics or antibacterials can be used. Sulfadimethoxine (Albon

, Di-Methox

) is the preferred treatment. If it is not available, or not effective, sulfamethazine (Sulfa-Max

, SulfaSure

), erythromycin (gallimycin

), or tetracycline (Aureomycin

) can be used as alternative treatments. Sulfa drugs are not FDA approved for pullets older than 14 weeks of age or for commercial layer hens. While antibiotics can be effective in reducing clinical disease, they do not eliminate carrier birds.
Prevention: Good management and sanitation are the best ways to avoid infectious coryza. Most outbreaks occur as a result of mixing flocks. All replacement birds on "coryza-endemic" farms should be vaccinated. The vaccine (Coryza-Vac) is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) on the back of the neck. Each chicken should be vaccinated four times, starting at 5 weeks of age with at least 4 weeks between injections. Vaccinate again at 10 months of age and twice yearly thereafter.

 

[luvmypets]

Can you list the symptoms you are seeing?
Here is an excerpt from University of FL on roup or coryza:

Infectious Coryza

Synonyms: roup, cold, coryza
Species affected: chickens, pheasants, and guinea fowl. Common in game chicken flocks.
Clinical signs: Swelling around the face, foul smelling, thick, sticky discharge from the nostrils and eyes, labored breathing, and rales (rattles -- an abnormal breathing sound) are common clinical signs. The eyelids are irritated and may stick together. The birds may have diarrhea and growing birds may become stunted (see Table 1).
Mortality from coryza is usually low, but infections can decrease egg production and increase the incidence and/or severity of other diseases. Mortality can be as high as 50 percent, but is usually no more than 20 percent. The clinical disease can last from a few days to 2-3 months, depending on the virulence of the pathogen and the existence of other infections such as mycoplasmosis.
Transmission: Coryza is primarily transmitted by direct bird-to-bird contact. This can be from infected birds brought into the flock as well as from birds which recover from the disease which remain carriers of the organism and may shed intermittently throughout their lives.. Birds risk exposure at poultry shows, bird swaps, and live-bird sales. Inapparent infected adult birds added into a flock are a common source for outbreaks. Within a flock, inhalation of airborne respiratory droplets, and contamination of feed and/or water are common modes of spread.
Treatment: Water soluble antibiotics or antibacterials can be used. Sulfadimethoxine (Albon

, Di-Methox

) is the preferred treatment. If it is not available, or not effective, sulfamethazine (Sulfa-Max

, SulfaSure

), erythromycin (gallimycin

), or tetracycline (Aureomycin

) can be used as alternative treatments. Sulfa drugs are not FDA approved for pullets older than 14 weeks of age or for commercial layer hens. While antibiotics can be effective in reducing clinical disease, they do not eliminate carrier birds.
Prevention: Good management and sanitation are the best ways to avoid infectious coryza. Most outbreaks occur as a result of mixing flocks. All replacement birds on "coryza-endemic" farms should be vaccinated. The vaccine (Coryza-Vac) is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) on the back of the neck. Each chicken should be vaccinated four times, starting at 5 weeks of age with at least 4 weeks between injections. Vaccinate again at 10 months of age and twice yearly thereafter.

We see swollen eyes and foamy whte discharge. Eyes are sometimes swollen shut. My sunny's breathing was very labored and sounded like she was gurgling. Her face was purple as if she suffacated.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would ship a body of one off to the state vet for a necropsy. that will give you an answer on what exactly it is. They can have one thing such as infectious bronchitis, then get something else such as MG or coryza as a secondary infection. Coryza is best treated bygiving sulfamethoxine (Di-Methox) or Sulmet, but I would probably give Tylan 50 injections as well, since you don't know for sure what it is. Here is the complete link from above that shows all of the common diseases to compare symptoms and the link for finding your state vet: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a good link when sending a bird for a necropsy, about how to ship it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

 

[luvmypets]

Ok thank you.

 

[luvmypets]

Update: we are current treating the entire flock and we have since lost four more birds. we contacted the guy we got them from and he said he never knew they were sick, and has lost over 40 birds. Our flock is recovering from the losses, and the disease itself, all in all its been a lesson on quarentining.

 

[seminolewind]

I think most of us have learned a hard lesson at sometime of having chickens.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry you had to deal with the loss of so many birds. Thanks for the update.